author
active 4th century B.C. Liao Wei
A shadowy figure from ancient China, he is traditionally associated with the Wei Liaozi, one of the classic works of Chinese military thought. Almost nothing certain is known about his life, which gives the book an extra sense of mystery.
1 Audiobook
尉繚子
by active 4th century B.C. Liao Wei
About the author
Traditionally identified as the author of the Wei Liaozi, Liao Wei is linked to the Warring States period of ancient China, around the 4th century B.C. The work later became one of China's Seven Military Classics, and it is the main reason his name has survived.
Very little can be confirmed about the person behind the text. Later tradition connects him with political and military advising, but surviving evidence is sparse, so most accounts of his life remain uncertain.
What endures clearly is the influence of the book itself. The Wei Liaozi combines military strategy with ideas about government, discipline, agriculture, and the relationship between civil and military power, giving readers a glimpse into how warfare and statecraft were understood in early China.